​A new study shows that affluent Americans rely on their mobile devices to educate their purchasing decisions.

​Marketers seek various strategies to engage audiences across touch points as a way to push prospects through their unique sales funnels. While consumers use numerous technologies to educate their purchasing decisions, mobile search has embedded itself in how people shop, and from this habitual evolution, brands must learn more about marketing through mobile channels.

In an April 2013 survey by Luxury Institute, eight in 10 U.S. internet users over the age of 21 and with a gross income above $150,000 own smartphones, and 56 percent have tablet computers. Affluent shoppers are prime marketing targets, as their spending power can fuel brand adoption and profit margins. Mobile technology is a growing resource for various daily needs, and affluent shoppers are turning to their devices throughout the purchase process to support their decisions. Brands must find ways to leverage mobile behavior for online and offline sales. The Luxury Institute found that the most common smartphone mcommerce activity among affluents was looking up store information, followed by product research and comparison shopping.

Out of all mobile device users​, ​tablet owners are mostly likely to look up product images and read user-generated custom content online. The differences between smartphone and tablet shopping behavior should persuade marketers to invest in a variety of different web content types. Brands need graphics and visual media to inspire tablet users, and informative text-rich updates to drive conversions among smartphones owners.

Brafton covered Google’s “Mobile In-Store Research: How in-store shoppers are using mobile devices” report, which found that 84 percent of smartphone owners use their devices to guide their in-store experiences. Eighty-two percent of mobile shoppers search for online content via their phones to influence their purchasing decisions.

The study also found that one in three people will use their smartphones instead of consulting with a nearby store employee. These reports show that consumers find reliable advice via their mobile devices, and companies that publish authoritative branded content to the ‘net may become go-to resources for in-store shopping.

Ted Karczewski is an Executive Communications Associate at Brafton. He works to develop his own voice and apply his passions to the evolving world of SEO and content marketing, but he doesn't shy away from writing for fun. After graduating from Suffolk University, Ted used his Communications degree to test out Sports Journalism before Marketing at Brafton.